Marine Fisheries

A run-around, strike or drop net that is used to surround a school of fish and then is immediately retrieved is exempted from the restrictions in this proclamation.

IV. GILL NET SETTING REQUIREMENTS

A. It is unlawful to use large mesh gill nets (defined as 4 inches to 61/2 inches stretched mesh inclusive) for daytime sets other than during the setting and retrieval periods specified below. Only single night overnight soaks are permitted, and are only lawful if set and retrieved as follows:

1. Nets set for Tuesday retrieval may be set no sooner than one hour before sunset on Monday and must be retrieved no later than one hour after sunrise on Tuesday. 2. Nets set for Wednesday retrieval may be set no sooner than one hour before sunset on Tuesday and must be retrieved no later than one hour after sunrise on Wednesday. 3. Nets set for Thursday retrieval may be set no sooner than one hour before sunset on Wednesday and must be retrieved no later than one hour after sunrise on Thursday. 4. Nets set for Friday retrieval may be set no sooner than one hour before sunset on Thursday and must be retrieved no later than one hour after sunrise on Friday.

In the area bound in the north by a line at longitude 76° 36.9972’W which runs from a point on Shackleford Banks northerly to Lennoxville Point, then to the head of Turner Creek, and northerly up the western side of North River (see map), and bound in the south by the North Carolina-South Carolina border, an additional overnight soak period is permitted in addition to IV. 1. through 4. above:

Nets set for Monday retrieval may be set no sooner than one hour before sunset on Sunday and must be retrieved no later than one hour after sunrise on Monday.

No other overnight sets are permitted, and in no case shall daytime sets occur other than during setting and retrieval periods as specified above.

B. It is unlawful to use large mesh gill nets of more than 15 meshes in height and without a lead core or leaded bottomline. It is unlawful to use cork, floats, or other buoys except those required for identification except that floats are allowed south of the Highway 58 (B. Cameron Langston) Bridge, beginning at a point on the north shore at 34° 40.7848’N - 77° 04.0273’W; running southerly to a point on the south shore at 34° 39.8620’N – 77° 03.7438’W.

C. It is unlawful to use or possess more than 2,000 yards of large mesh gill net per fishing operation regardless of the number of vessels involved in coastal fishing waters north of a line at latitude 34° 48.2660’ N which runs approximately from the Club House on Core Banks westerly to a point on the shore at Davis near Marker “1”.

It is unlawful to use or possess more than 1,000 yards of large mesh gill net per fishing operation regardless of the number of vessels involved in coastal fishing waters bound in the north by a line at latitude 34° 48.2660’ N which runs approximately from the Club House on Core Banks westerly to a point on the shore at Davis near Marker “1” and bound in the south by the North Carolina-South Carolina border.

D. It is unlawful to set more than 100 yards of large mesh gill net without leaving a space of at least 25 yards between separate lengths of net.